The National Parks Service is known for good pavement, cheerful rangers, well-signed and maintained trails, clean bathrooms in nicely appointed Visitor Centers and other swell amenities along with somewhat pricey entrance fees. To keep people safe from the Wilderness experience, Caution is a serious concern for the NPS:








The Bureau of Land Management, on the other hand, is known for almost none of these amenities. Hardly any fences or fees or even pavement for that matter, overseeing land that the NPS and most other Americans aren't interested in. You want to kill yourself on BLM land? Go right ahead:



I kinda like their attitude...

This is my favorite warning sign in Yosemite. The current is stretching this poor fellow out as he approaches the waterfall's event horizon.

It's helpful when they point out the dangers along the way:



But unfortunately, even the signs are not safe from the many perils of the wilderness:

BLM=dirtbag friendly. NPS, not so much.

There is a great sign near Maroon Bells, shows a guy with crampons and ice tools climbing rock.

I love all the warning signs near the Grand Canyon, advising the dangers of hiking down with inadequate water, and misjudging the requirements of hiking back uphill after descending to the river. We should have lawyers at the top of the canyon, helping people sue for not getting enough warnings. That's the American way -- dumb shit behavior followed by lawsuits.

Bob Burd wrote:The Bureau of Land Management, on the other hand, is known for almost none of these amenities. Hardly any fences or fees or even pavement for that matter, overseeing land that the NPS and most other Americans aren't interested in. You want to kill yourself on BLM land? Go right ahead

You mean we have to use common sense?! We're DUH... DUH... DOOMED!

MoapaPk wrote:There is a great sign near Maroon Bells, shows a guy with crampons and ice tools climbing rock.

I love all the warning signs near the Grand Canyon, advising the dangers of hiking down with inadequate water, and misjudging the requirements of hiking back uphill after descending to the river. We should have lawyers at the top of the canyon, helping people sue for not getting enough warnings. That's the American way -- dumb shit behavior followed by lawsuits.

Most of those who hike into the Grand Canyon are tourons who don't hike regularly; also many are idiots. To get a permit to camp in the canyon you are sent a video warning of the dangers, those who don't know as much as experienced campers only have the signs to warn them. The warning signs would be helpful except that those who should read them don't.

Most of those who suffer dehydration in the canyon are women - they don't drink water so they won't have to pee in public. If the park wanted to actually do something about the dangers, they would install latrines along the Bright Angel Trail.

Don't think this would go over well on national park land. Haha.

Buz Groshong wrote:

MoapaPk wrote:There is a great sign near Maroon Bells, shows a guy with crampons and ice tools climbing rock.

I love all the warning signs near the Grand Canyon, advising the dangers of hiking down with inadequate water, and misjudging the requirements of hiking back uphill after descending to the river. We should have lawyers at the top of the canyon, helping people sue for not getting enough warnings. That's the American way -- dumb shit behavior followed by lawsuits.

Most of those who hike into the Grand Canyon are tourons who don't hike regularly; also many are idiots. To get a permit to camp in the canyon you are sent a video warning of the dangers, those who don't know as much as experienced campers only have the signs to warn them. The warning signs would be helpful except that those who should read them don't.

Most of those who suffer dehydration in the canyon are women - they don't drink water so they won't have to pee in public. If the park wanted to actually do something about the dangers, they would install latrines along the Bright Angel Trail.

"The vast majority of people who have died in the Grand Canyon have been males, all but 6 of the 65 people reported dead from environmental factors in Myers’ and Ghiglieri’s 2001 book. Of the people they reported to have died by falling off the rim or from a cliff or steep trail, 71 were male and 17 were female.

Phillips says suicides reveal a gender divide: “I’ve been here 28 years and only two females have thrown themselves off the rim of the canyon. We see several suicides a year.”

But he’s observed – and the numbers confirm – that even the accidental deaths show a marked biological influence.

'It’s definitely younger males that take higher risks than females. It’s a proven fact,' he said. 'It has a lot to do with testosterone. Males put themselves at greater risk, attempt things that females wouldn’t normally do, whether it’s swimming in a river, climbing an exposed cliff face or just getting farther out on a promontory.'"

Actually, as of 2001, about 9 times as many people had died at the Grand from aircraft accidents, as from dehydration and heatstroke.

Leaves me wondering if what I heard was a myth rather than fact. On the other hand statistics on people who have to get rescued because of dehydration might no be quite the same as for those who die from dehydration.

Unless I saw the data I wouldn't believe it. The NPS and its staff are not exactly purveyors of wisdom.

They've been telling me to take a water filter into the Sierra for years... I still haven't done it and have yet to find any reason why I should do so.

Buz Groshong wrote:If the park wanted to actually do something about the dangers, they would install latrines along the Bright Angel Trail.

Hell, that trail already smells like a latrine due to the damn mules, so why not?

Buz would recognize this one; it's at Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah NP and cracks me up every time I see it:



This one from Yellowstone is funny, too; they have one almost exactly like it at Badlands NP as well:

Bob Sihler wrote:Buz would recognize this one; it's at Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah NP and cracks me up every time I see it:

I don't often hike the Dark Hollow Falls Trail - a bit too wimpy.

There are lots of kids on that trail and most of the parents need a more "in your face" warning than that.

Speaking of which, a woman who used to work with me told a story of hiking White Oak Canyon and seeing a kid playing over by one of the falls. She approached the parents, who were paying no attention to the child, and told them "you know it would really ruin the day for the rest of us if your child fell in and got killed." That got the parents' attention.

Buz Groshong wrote:There are lots of kids on that trail and most of the parents need a more "in your face" warning than that. Speaking of which, a woman who used to work with me told a story of hiking White Oak Canyon and seeing a kid playing over by one of the falls. She approached the parents, who were paying no attention to the child, and told them "you know it would really ruin the day for the rest of us if your child fell in and got killed." That got the parents' attention.

[/quote]

Tourons, women, and kids! Oh, my!




I saw the word facts mentioned somewhere above. So how many kids have died or needed rescue, or is it young to middle age men who tend to fall in or go splat on the rocks? The only place anyone ever gave my kids a funny look and vocalized a concern was near a railing in a National Park. My kids were stepping on the lower rung of a railing at a drive-up overlook in Natural Bridges NP with my wife and I less than arms reach away. A couple of feet of spare rock lay beyond the railing, which guarded an initial 5-10 foot drop (a larger drop lay beyond). It's usually touron types projecting their own perception of danger on others who get overly nervous about such things; that's one of many reasons I tend to avoid national parks in favor of National Forest and BLM land.

(Edited for clarity and quotation error)